Abstract
The use of antibiotics needs to be carefully managed so we can make the best use of these medicines, limit the risk of developing resistance to them, and therefore improve our patients’ outcomes once we treat them in a hospital or similar environment. Pharmacists play a key role in making sure that the use of antibiotics is well managed through medication review, dose adjustment, monitoring of treatments, and working collaboratively with other members of the health care team. The objective of this research study was to evaluate the effectiveness of pharmacist-initiated and pharmacist-led initiatives to promote optimal use of antibiotics in the hospital and community pharmacy settings. The key pharmacist interventions included: proactive review of antibiotic use with provision of verbal and written feedback; implementation of clinical practice guidelines; de-escalation of intravenous antibiotics to oral dosage form antibiotics; patient education; and education of other health professionals about use of antibiotics. Pharmacists also have an important role in identifying drug-drug interactions; preventing adverse drug reactions; and monitoring antimicrobial use patterns. Pharmacist-led stewardship programs have been shown to increase compliance with the clinical practice guidelines for antibiotic use, decrease the number of inappropriate prescriptions of antibiotics, decrease the length of hospital stays, and decrease the overall cost to the health care system. In addition, the pharmacist-led stewardship programs have provided support for the appropriate use of antimicrobials, and the increasing problem of developing resistance to antibiotics. The findings from this study demonstrate that pharmacists need to be part of multidisciplinary health care teams in order to enhance stewardship of antibiotics and promote the sustainable use of antibiotics.